Structural unit



Jan. 19 1926. 1,570,595

D. F.STEVENS STRUCTURAL UNI T Filed May 7, 1925 &

Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

DOUGLAS F. STEVENS, 0F DANVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 IDA K. STEVENS,OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

STRUCTURAL UNIT.

Application filed May 7,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DOUGLAS F. STEVENS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county ofVermilion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Structural Units, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to bricks and other structural products having asurface or surfaces formed to present an ornamental or pleasingappearance.

It is an object of the invention to provide products of this sort thathave substantially the same surface appearance when placed in anyposition in a wall or other structure and when viewed from any angle.

When considered with the description herein, the characteristics of theinvention are apparent from the accompanying drawing, forming parthereof, wherein an embodiment of the invention in a. brick is disclosed,for purposes of illustration; and in the drawing- Fig. 1 is anelevation;

Fig. 2 is a section.

A surface of the product formed in accordance with this invention has amottledlike texture afforded by diversified depressions of somewhatirregular depth and of irregular and varying shape, which are disposedamong diversified protuberances or nubbles of irregular and varyingshape that are fiat in so much of their outer surfaces as lie in theplane of the face. These protuberances or nubbles are positioned insubstantially even distribution throughout the surface area.

The surface material, in the treatment to which it is subjected, so isacted on and distributed that the surface is devoid of ridges, grooves,furrows, and uniformly-shaped regularly-disposed round-surfaced protuberances or nubbles.

It has been found in practice that such a 1925. Serial No. 28,722.

surface best can be produced, in a manner such as hereinafter described,by operating upon a rectangular column of plastic clay or other suitablematerial immediately after it has been worked thoroughly and extrudedfrom the die of a stiff-mud or similar machine.

During its progress through a treating-machine, the surface of thecolumn that is to become faces of units later made ready for use afterbeing cut off and put through the usual curing and kiln processes isplowed by pins or other suitable members having reciprocating movementin straight lines that are oblique to the direction of motion of thecolumn. The particles thus loosened subsequently are subjected to gentleand graduallyincreasing inward pressure and a slight dragging action fora comparatively long period by a pressing-belt, whereby they areflattened and distributed evenly as irregularly-shaped protuberances ornubbles of varying size with irregularly-shaped de pressions or recessesof varying depth among them.

A structural unit having a face of this nature may be produced by amachine such as disclosed by my co-pending application filed May 7 1925,Ser. No. 28,721.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A structural unit having a face of mottied-like texture characterizedby fiat-surfaced nubbles different shapes disposed in unalineddistribution throughout the face area among depressions of differentshapes.

2. A structural unit having a face of mottled-like texture characterizedby flat-surfaced nubbles of different shapes disposed in unalineddistribution throughout the face area among depressions of irregularshape and depth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DOUGLAS F, STEVENS.

